I Understand More Than You Know
by jazzybizzle
Summary: When Aunt May passes away, Peter moves in with his teammates, and Ava personally helps him cope with his loss. Love blossoms in the tricarrier walls, but Peter and Ava aren't the only ones falling. SpiderTiger


**Oh looky here, I made another USM thing becauseIwatchedtoomuchepisodeslastnight andgotanotherideaforamultichapter.**

* * *

_This can't be happening..._

_This just...this can't be real..._

**Yet here I am, staring down at the grave I'd never thought I'd see for a long time.**

Peter Parker, almost freezing in the chilly, sunless air, was standing in front of the grave of his now late aunt. He still couldn't believe that the only family he had left was..._gone_. His blue eyes, always alive and full of energy, were now a dull, lifeless steel color. His skin was paler, bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. The bright smile he always bore was gone, replaced with an emotionless façade. On the inside, he was a wreck. He wanted nothing more than to burst out in tears.

_Why didn't she tell me she had cancer?_

"Hi, Pete."

Peter rose his head as Mary Jane and a blonde he faintly recognized walked up to him. The redhead wrapped her arms around his neck, and he returned her embrace half-heartedly.

"You remember Gwen, right?" Mary Jane said, wiping a stray tear from her face, gesturing towards the blonde.

Peter nodded. "Hey, Gwen."

Gwen Stacy hugged him next, and Peter sighed; although it was good to see her, he wished that it had been another time. "Hi, Peter." Pulling back, Gwen offered him a watery smile.

"We're so sorry for your loss," said MJ. "S-She was like another mother to me."

"She's in a better place," said Gwen. "God Bless her soul." She sniffed.

"Thanks," Peter deadpanned, and the two girls walked away.

He wasn't alone for long.

"Parker!"

At the sound of Luke's voice, Peter rose his head and turned. There stood his team, all dressed in black respectfully. The sight of them actually made him feel a little better. He only took a few steps towards them, not wanting to be apart from his sleeping aunt underneath the dead grass, but they made the rest of the way and each took turns in giving him hugs.

Ava was last. The two walked up to each other, Peter forcing-was it a smile? Well, whatever it was, it was something-and Ava wrapped her arms around him. She knew how it felt to lose your mother and father figure, and especially when you had such a close relationship with them. Peter found himself holding onto her, like for dear life, and she let him.

"Parker," she started to say.

"Thanks for coming," he muttered under his breath with no emotion, and he slid out of her embrace and walked away, exiting the graveyard. His team gazed after him with sorrow and understanding, knowing him well enough that it was a matter of time before he decided to suit up.

"Alright, who's going after him?" said Sam.

"I will," said Ava, looking at them over her shoulder. "We can all meet up later, 'kay?"

The other three nodded, and Ava left.

* * *

Spider Man sighed, looking down from the building he stood atop of, his feet almost coming over the edge. It was a long jump. What if he let himself fall? What if he decided not to catch himself?

_No, no. Killing myself wouldn't be right. Think of Uncle Ben, think of your team._

Spider Man braced himself before he finally jumped. Arms and legs snapping together, he was diving headfirst towards the busy street below. For a normal person, everything would come fast and frightening. But for him, it was slow and easy. He didn't notice a pair of yellow eyes following him as he webslung and caught himself, body jerking upwards rather sharply and launching him back into the air. He flipped, shooting another web, and swung from it.

White Tiger followed him, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and using her claws to help her leverage. She got close enough to where his spider sense might catch her.

The wall crawler finally came to a stop, he must have a thing for tall buildings, she mused, and sat on the edge. She also noticed that they were pretty far out, close to the ocean.

She landed silently, but she knew that he surely sensed her now.

"What's with you and tall buildings?" she voiced her thoughts as she came up beside him.

He didn't answer.

Sighing, Tiger sat down next to him, and mirrored his gaze towards the city. It really was quite the view, even though it might scare squeamish people who are afraid of heights.

They didn't speak for at least ten minutes.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me," he mumbled finally.

She arched an eyebrow underneath her mask. "Why?" When he didn't answer, she lifted up her mask so her face could be seen. "Parker, you and I both know that all of us-especially _me_-have every right to feel sorry because we know _exactly_ how you feel. You feel guilty, and you wish that you could've prevented it from happening, but it did, and now you feel hopeless. You want to die. You just don't want to exist anymore because the people you lost meant everything to you. But then your hero life comes in the picture, and you think about the people that depend on you and care about you in your hero life, and you still have those people close to you in your personal life that you don't wanna lose...So you just have to keep holding on..."

She fell silent, and when she looked back over at him, she saw that he had removed his mask too.

"Guess you know me better than I thought," Peter said, repeating those exact words she had said to him, flashing her a wry smile, and she returned it. He hung his head again and closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Look, Parker," Ava said, "you may have lost your Aunt, but you're not alone." The Latina had made a brave move, her hand reaching for his right hand, the one nearest her reach. The tips of her claws grazed against his leg as her hand hesitantly curved around his, holding her breath and hoping to gauge a reaction from him. Surprising himself, Peter's limp hand leaned back and on its side, letting her fingers lace through the gaps in his.

The two looked at each other, blush tainting their cheeks when their eyes met and lingered, then back at their hands, then back up at each other.

"Ahem."

The two looked over their shoulders to see Nova, Power Man, and Iron Fist. Spider Man and White Tiger looked back at each other before jumping apart and getting to their feet, pulling their masks back over their faces.

"Yeah, uh, when you two are done canoodling, Fury wants to see us," Nova continued, fighting the urge to snicker.

"All of us," said Power Man.

"Indeed," said Iron Fist.

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**I kinda made myself sad, but it had to happen for the plot :')**

**Chapters get longer as the story progresses. U****ntil then...**

**Peace!**


End file.
